Dunedin woman admits murdering her partner after stabbing him 22 times in the bath

Police at the scene in Tainui Rd, Dunedin on May 18. Photo / Linda Robertson

A 61-year-old Dunedin woman has pleaded guilty to murder after stabbing her partner 22 times while he was in the bath.

The woman, whose identity is suppressed, appeared before Justice Cameron Mander in the High Court this morning via audio-visual link and pleaded guilty to the murder of Mark Henry Willis, 58.

The woman and Willis met on a dating site about six years ago, before moving to Dunedin in 2022 and buying a three-bedroom home in Tainui.

When her mental health began to deteriorate at the beginning of this year, the defendant requested immediate sick leave – with no return to work in sight.

Willis returned home to their home at 4.30pm on May 18 and went to run a bath. Less than 45 minutes later he was dead.

The defendant armed herself with a kitchen knife, with a 10cm long blade, and went into the bathroom where she stabbed Willis 22 times.

She slashed at his body a further six times, causing superficial wounds.

An autopsy revealed the depth of the stab wounds ranged from 11mm to 110m.

One of the stab wounds severed the left subclavian artery in the victim’s upper torso and a further four wounds were inflicted to the man’s lungs and liver.

He died of blood loss.

At 5.15pm the woman sent a Facebook message to one of her children, stating: “I love you, I’m sorry for what I have done.”

At 5.17pm she transferred $45,000 into their bank account.

One minute later she called police, informing them she had stabbed her partner to death.

Nine minutes later, police were on the scene – finding the man’s lifeless body in the bath.

The woman greeted police at the door, wearing blood-stained clothes -- with superficial cuts to her hands.

The woman’s name and occupation remain suppressed and she is set to appear for sentencing on October 4.